GVHS Library and Archives
Oral Recordings
According to the Oral History Association "...oral history is a method of gathering and preserving historical information through recorded interviews of people about past events and ways of life."
The GVHS Archives has a rich collection of audio tapes containing over 70 oral histories that are available for consultation. These interviews with members of the community, both past and present, were conducted between 1975 and 1999.
Thanks in part to QAHN and the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling, a selection of these oral histories are now available in digital format. This transfer from audio cassette to MP3, will not only help to preserve this valuable content, it will make it more easily accessible for members, researchers and genealogists.
Anthony, Brian
Heritage Canada.
Audio Cassette, tape no. s.6, 30 minutes, recorded February 2, 1998.
Play recording:
Atherton, Jay
Treasures from the Historical Society of the Gatineau Archives (HSG). Interview by Ernie Mahoney.
Audio Cassette, 31 minutes, recorded April 20, 1998.
Play recording:
Austin, Mrs. Alex (Edith Allen)
Interview by Judy Geggie.
Audio Cassette +, tape no. s.22, 60 minutes, recorded January 1974.
Play recording:
Bayley, Buddy and Isabel
History of the Gatineau Valley: Local Dances; Clubhouses; Bridge at Meech Creek Valley; October Crisis; Wilcomin Boats; Property-based farm vote. Interview by Jamie Creskey and Tom Hanson.
Audio Cassette, 60 minutes, recorded August 4, 1986.
Play recording part A:
Play recording part B:
Brown, Arthur
History of the Gatineau Valley: School; the train; Dances in Wakefield; Cottagers; NCC; Horses; Cutting wood; Doctor/dentist; Fridges; Cars; Ice houses; Farming; Homebirths; Plowing roads; the Depression; Language; Softball; Land development Records; Clothes; Veterinarians. Interview by Jamie Creskey and Tom Hanson.
Audio Cassette, 60 minutes, recorded June 6, 1986.
Play recording part A:
Play recording part B:
Chelsea School - Reid, Harold; Hughes, RJ; Milks, Harky
Chelsea School
Audio Cassette, tape no. s.5, 60 minutes, recorded November 17, 1997.
Play recording:
Clarke, Reggie
History of the Gatineau Valley: Early settlers; Sheep and selling wool; Farm machinery; Stooking grain; Selling milk and cream; Farm Point Cheese Factory; Crossing the river; Trips to Ottawa (selling at the market); Cottagers; Selling eggs; First buses and cars; First snowmobiles; Doctors; Blacksmiths; Sawmills; Sawing bees; Dances and parties; Horses; Maclaren's Store and other stores in Wakefield; Plays; Wakefield School.
60 minutes, recorded August 5, 1987.
Play recording:
Cross, Viola
Play recording:
Cross, William and Brown, Harvey
Audio Cassette, tape no. s.18, 60 minutes.
Play recording:
Cross, Wyman
Wyman Cross of Cascades Quebec.
Audio Cassette, recorded May 28, 1975.
Play recording:
Daley, Michael
Why the area east of Hull is called South Hull; Farming; Threshing; Old Notch Road; 1928-1932; Wood-cutting; Road Maintenance; Wages; School; Taxes; Politics; Robbery; Modernization; Expropriation of land; Fire of 1870; Dances; First World War; Influenza of 1918; Horses. Interview by Jamie Creskey and Tom Hanson.
Audio Cassette, 60 minutes, recorded July 8, 1986.
Play recording part A:
Play recording part B:
Daly, Ray
Old days. Interview by Catherine Joyce.
DVD + Wav, new, recorded May 5, 2011.
Play recording:
Ditchfield, Harvey
History of Gatineau area; Farming; Post-flood new road; cottages; Railroad; CIP and flooded farms; Cascades Clubhouse; Fire Protection Association; Wages. Interview by Jamie Creskey and Tom Hanson.
Audio Cassette, 90 minutes, recorded July 22, 1986.
Play recording:
Doxtater, Jessie
Interview by Catherine Joyce.
DVD, new, recorded May 19, 2011.
Play recording intro:
Play recording part A:
Play recording part B:
Fields, Harry
Early life. Interview by Adrian Wilson & Marc Boyer
Audio Cassette, 30 minutes, recorded August 6, 1986.
Play recording:
Foley, Loyola
History of the Gatineau Valley; Farming; Adoption; Christmas; Dances; Rolling the road; Driving the mail; Selling cream; Larrimac Golf Course; Wartime. Interview by Amanda Pawley for Outaouais Alliance.
Audio Cassette, 180 minutes, recorded July 9, 1987.
Play recording:
Gamble, Annie
Early days
Audio Cassette, CD, 25 minutes.
Play recording:
Geggie, Dr. Stewart
Audio Cassette, 90 minutes.
Play recording:
Geggie, Norma
Interview by Catherine Joyce
DVD, new, recorded February 24, 2011.
Play recording part A:
Play recording part B:
Gibson, Dave
Shanties and lumber business. Interview by Sharon McLoud.
Play recording part 1:
Play recording part 2:
Hamilton, Clarence
Audio Cassette, 90 minutes, recorded June 15, 1987.
Play recording part A:
Play recording part B:
Heginbottom, Alan
1918 flu virus.
Audio Cassette +, 60 minutes, recorded February 15, 1999.
Play recording:
Hodgins, Ruby
History of the Gatineau area; Farming; Cleaning the Shawville School; Customers at her restaurant on Mountain Road; Modernization and homemaking; Depression. Interview by Jamie Creskey and Tom Hanson.
Audio Cassette +, 90 minutes, recorded July 1, 1986.
Play recording:
Journeaux, Phillip
Early Kirk's Ferry. Interview by Grandchildren.
Audio Cassette, tape no. s.19, 60 minutes.
Play recording:
Kenny, James
Audio Cassette, 45 minutes.
Play recording:
Leach, Pearl
History of the Gatineau area; School; Farming; Flour and grist mills; Homemaking; Newspapers; Dances; Making soap, cream and butter; Telephones; Wartime; Marking Roads in Chelsea; Aylmer. Interview by Amanda Pawley for Outaouais Alliance.
Audio Cassette, 90 minutes, recorded July 28, 1987.
Play recording:
Leggo, Frank
Working at E.B. Eddy.
Audio Cassette, 90 minutes.
Play recording:
Lusk, Austin; Mrs. Alex (Edith Allen)
History of the Gatineau area; French and English; School; Government relief; Money values; Teaching; Cheese Factory; Selling milk and cream; Keeping food cool; Sports; Aylmer; Trans; General stores; Electricity; Telephones; Veterinarians; Doctors; Mid-wives; Inspectors; NCC; Dances; Post office; Blacksmiths; Basements; Town Councils; Horses. Interview by Amanda Pawley for Outaouais Alliance.
Audio Cassette , 90 minutes, recorded August 4, 1987.
Play recording part A:
Play recording part B:
MacIntyre, Frank
Early days of Real Estate Business in the Gatineau. GVHS Meeting speaker
Audio Cassette, tape no. s.3, 60 minutes, recorded May 12, 1997.
Play recording:
Mahon, Roy
Interview by Stuart Geggie.
Audio Cassette + MP3, tape no. s.20, 60 minutes, recorded March 5, 1975.
Play recording part 1A:
Play recording part 1B:
Play recording part 2:
McGarry, Lila (and friend)
History of the Gatineau area: Wage rates; Farming; Generating electricity; Cutting wood; Dr. Harold Geggie; Box socials; Wakefield Toy Factory; Brucite mine; Tollgate; Wartime activity in Wakefield; Wakefield train; Wood cutting. Interview by Jamie Creskey and Tom Hanson.
Audio Cassette , tape no. 10 (86), 60 minutes, recorded June 1, 1986.
Play recording part A:
Play recording part B:
Mcintyre, Lorne
Tenaga History.
Recorded June 1, 2000.
Play recording:
McLelland, Orvil; Cross, Viola; Whelock, Elaine
Audio Cassette +, recorded July 8, 1987.
Play recording:
Moncrieff, Ken
life in the camps, early life on the farm in Rupert. Interview by Norma Geggie.
Audio Cassette, tape no. s.13, 60 minutes, recorded May 28, 1975.
Play recording:
Monette, Mona
CD & tape, 60 minutes.
Play recording part A:
Play recording part B:
Mulvihill, Irene
History of the Gatineau area: Farming; First World War; Avoiding Conscription; Beamish Hill; Halifax Explosion. Interview by Jamie Creskey and Tom Hanson.
Audio Cassette , tape no. 13 / 86, 60 minutes, recorded July 1, 1986.
Play recording part A:
Play recording part B:
Nugent, Annie
History of the Gatineau area: School: Men working in shanties; Peddlers; Doctors; Mail: Telephones; Newspapers; Farming; Bee; Threshing; Making butter and soap; Social activities. Interview by Amanda Pawley for Outaouais Alliance.
Audio Cassette, tape no. 8 (87), 60 minutes, recorded July 16, 1987.
Play recording:
O'Dwyer, Dunn & Toni
History of the Gatineau area: School; Horses; Symme's Hotel; Dances; Trains; Cutting wood; Theatres; Doctors; Vets; Summer Cottagers; Ice house; Aylmer fire; Hospitals; Clothes. Interview by Amanda Pawley for Outaouais Alliance.
Audio Cassette, tape no. 13 (87), 60 minutes, recorded August 19, 1987.
Play recording:
Park, Frank and Maud
History of the Gatineau area: E.B. Eddy's; Sports and Recreation; Horace Benedict; School Market Picnics; Stores; Farming Women in the workforce; Ice Cream; Bees. Interview by Amanda Pawley for Outaouais Alliance.
Audio Cassette, tape no. 4 (87), 60 minutes, recorded June 19, 1987.
Play recording:
Quipp, Ed
Early ski developments: Beamish, Fortune and Dome Hill.
Audio Cassette +, tape no. s.4, 60 minutes, recorded October 20, 1997.
Play recording part A:
Play recording part B:
Resides, Edgar & Jessie
History of the Gatineau area: Farming; Machinery; Teaching; School; Cars; Dances; Quilting; Corn Husking; Bees; Chicken Feasts; French and English; Mail; Cheese factor. Interview by Amanda Pawley for Outaouais Alliance.
Audio Cassette, tape no. 5, 60 minutes, recorded June 25, 1987.
Play recording:
Sally, Laura
Audio Cassette, tape no. 13, 90 minutes.
Play recording:
Sinclair, Alex and Tamarack
"Hills of the Gatineau" Songs.
Audio Cassette +, tape no. s.1, 60 minutes.
Play recording:
Smith, Douglas
Play recording:
Vaillancourt, Hector & Sue
Interview by Catherine Joyce.
DVD, new, recorded April 28, 2011
Play recording:
Warren, Jake
Diplomates and Distinguished Canadians of the Gatineau.
Audio Cassette, tape no. s.2, 60 minutes, recorded February 17, 1997.
Play recording:
Woodburn, David & Irene (Labrick)
Audio Cassette, tape no. s.23, 60 minutes, recorded July 1, 1981.
Play recording: